Esther 10
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And the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute upon the land, and upon the isles of the sea.
2 And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?
3 For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.
Public Domain KJV text from Wordproject.org
Esther 10:1-3
The Greatness of Mordecai
1King Ahasuerus imposed tax on the land and on the coastlands of the sea. 2And all the acts of his power and might, and the full account of the high honor of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? 3For Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people.
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Esther 10:1-3
The Greatness of Mordecai
1King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the empire, to its distant shores. 2And all his acts of power and might, together with a full account of the greatness of Mordecai, whom the king had promoted, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Media and Persia? 3Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.
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Commentary
No longer sitting at a gate, Mordecai, now the second most powerful man in the Persian empire, strolls palace corridors, highly esteemed by all. What is the secret to his success?
The last sentence of the book of Esther reveals the principle that motivated both Mordecai and Esther: no matter the personal cost, always work for the good of others and speak up on their behalf.
Mordecai worked for the well-being of his people. He spoke up for all Jews, defending the defenseless, protecting the innocent, advocating for the powerless. He cared about the needs and hurts, the trials and troubles of all, from infants to invalids, from the poorest to the richest. Mordecai was a defender of hearts and lives. That was the key to his success.
Do you want to be successful? Ask yourself: Who is God calling you to work for? Your people may be your family, your neighbor or coworker, the citizens of a foreign land, or the homeless in your city. It may be a politician or a prisoner. Whoever God places in your life, that is your people group, to be cared for, encouraged and defended no matter the personal cost.
Who is God calling you to speak up for?
God may not take you from the streets to a palace in this life; you may never receive accolades like Mordecai did. But if you stand up for the defenseless and the disadvantaged, God will guide you on an adventurous journey to eternity’s golden palaces.
You have been chosen for such a time as this!
Lori Engel
Chaplain (disabled as of this writing), Eugene, Oregon USA
